Collection system for body fluids



I Dec. 12, 1967 B. D. FOLKMAN ETAL 3,35

COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR BODY FLUIDS Filed NOV. 30, 1964 FIG. 3.

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United States Patent COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR BODY FLUIDS Bern D. Folkman, Van Nuys, and Stephen D. Thornton, Jr., North Hollywood, Calif., assignors to Pharrnaseal Laboratories, Glendale, Califi, a corporation of California Filed Nov. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 414,723 Claims. (Cl. 128-275) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE For collecting urine from a patient, a flexible kinkable tube joined to a container mouth by an adapter which has an end wall with preformed folds therein, which end wall has suflicient structural rigidity to span the container mouth and support the tube, but yet is sufficiently pliable to yield and partially unfold to prevent the tube from kinking upon angular movement of the tube relative to the container.

This invention relates to a system for collecting liquids, such as urine, in medical procedures and more specifically to a system with an adapter that connects a drainage tube to a container.

Urine collection systems usually include a container and a drainage tube for connecting the container to a urethral catheter, one end of which is inserted in a patient. Many problems have arisen in connecting the drainage tube to the container. An unattached drainage tube can easily slide all the way to the bottom of the container, and an end of this tube contact collected urine there which may be contaminated. Such contamination can migrate up the fluid column to the patient. A system with a drainage tube attached to the container is difficult to conveniently package, because a 'kink tends to form in the tube near the attachment to the container whenever the tube is coiled or folded. After storing for a period of time, the tube takes a permanent set in this kinked position. The drainage tube is several feet long and therefore cannot be economically packaged without folding or coiling.

It is an object of this invention to provide an easily packageable liquid collection system with an integral drainage tube.

Another object of this invention is to provide a liquid collection system with an attached drainage tube that can be coiled without kinking.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved adapter for connecting a drainage tube and container together in a liquid collection system.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from further description and from the following illustrations, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the liquid collection system;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the liquid collection system folded for packaging;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary front view showing the adapter in section; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view showing the adapter in section with the tube canted relative to the adapter.

3,357,429 Patented Dec. 12, 1967 Referring now to the drawings, the liquid collection .system includes a container 1 connected to a drainage tube or conduit means 3 by an adapter 4. One end of the conduit means 3 is adapted to attach to a urethral catheter (not shown). The container may be of any shape or construction but preferably is similar to a container which is the subject of a separate application entitled Collapsible Container, invented by William D. Calhoun, filed November 30, 1964, Serial No. 414,649; now Patent No. 3,319,684.

The adapter 4 connecting conduit means 3 to container 1 has a drip chamber 5 surrounded by upstanding wall 6. This upstanding wall 6 has connected thereto retaining means 7 which may be a threaded sleeve or a snap-on collar holding adapter 4 to container 1. A small tubular element or conduit receiving means 8 connected to upstanding wall 6 by a transverse end wall 9 receives and attaches to one end of conduit means 3. This end wall 9 is more flexible than upstanding wall 6 and has a series of pliable folds in the end wall material between the conduit receiving means 3 and upstanding wall 6. Preferably these pliable folds are in the form of a plurality of concentric convolutions 20 about the conduit receiving means 3. With concentric convolutions 20 in transverse end wall 9, conduit means 3 can bend to one side without kinking when the system is folded for packaging, as shown in FIGURE 2. Each convolution 20 provides the flexible end wall 9 with more material than a flat planar end wall, and hence can assume distorted configurations when a longitudinal axis of the conduit means angularly cants relative to a longitudinal axis of the adapter as in FIGURE 4. Such canting does not kink the conduit means 3 or break it loose from the conduit receiving means 8.

A drip forming means 10, which is either a part of conduit means 3 or a tubular section of conduit receiving means 8, extends into drip chamber 5 and forms uniform drops of liquid. These drops are countable by viewing through transparent upstanding wall 6.

The container 1 connects to adapter 4 as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 by means of a tubular neck 23 extending outwardly from a port 2 to a lip 15. A passage 16 through tubular neck 23 communicates with an interior of the container. Adapter 4 rests against lip 15 and is held to tubular neck 23 by an annular holding flange 13 extending inwardly from retaining means 7 and fitting around a transverse snap ring 17. The container can be detached from the adapter for emptying. The upstanding wall 6 telescopes into tubular neck 23 and keeps retaining means 7 which is attached to upstanding wall 6 from excessively deforming outwardly and slipping off tubular neck 23.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show a tortuous air vent path between the interior and exterior of the liquid collection system. To equalize pressure inside and outside the system, air can enter an exit the system through this tortuous path but bacteria cannot. This tortuous vent is also a liquid overflow safety when the container becomes full. The tortuous vent includes side grooves 18 extending across a discontinuous portion 21 of transverse snap ring 17 to lip 15, and end grooves 19 across lip 15 at a point spaced from side grooves 18 and an undercut recess 14 in retaining means 7 connecting the grooves 18 and 19.

FIGURE 2 shows the liquid collection system collapsed and ready for packaging. This system presents a neat unit that is readily packageable without kinking the drainage tube. When the liquid collection system is used, it is removed from a package in the folded configuration shown in FIGURE 2. Next the container is usually manually expanded into a neat cubicle reservoir and hung on a bed rail. Finally the free end of the conduit means is attached to the urethral catheter and urine collection begins.

We have described our invention in terms of a liquid collection system. However, this system can be used for liquid administration by inverting the container 1. This system can easily be used,.for example, in administering enema solutions.

Although we have described our invention with specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain modifications may be made to these embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A collection, system for body fluids comprising:

(a) a container having a port;

(b) a tubular neck surrounding the port and connecting with the container, said tubular neck extending outwardly to a lip and having a passage therethrough communicating with an interior of the container, said neck including a side groove extending to the lip of the neck, and including an end groove across its lip spaced from said side groove;

(c) a transverse snap ring on and encircling the tubular neck, said snap ring being discontinuous over a portion of the tubular neck containing said side groove;

(d) conduit means;

(e) an adapter flexibly connecting the conduit means to the tubularneck, said adapter including (1) a drip chamber surrounded by an upstanding wall,

(2) retaining means associated with the upstanding wall attaching the adapter to the tubular neck, said retaining means engaging the transverse snap ring and including an undercut recess connecting said side and end grooves to provide a tortuous fluid path between the tubular neck and adapter,

(3) conduit receiving means connected to said conduit means adjacent an end of the conduit means, and

(4) a flexible end wall connecting the conduit receiving means with the upstanding wall, said flexible end wall having at least one convolution concentric with the conduit receiving means.

2. A fluid collection system comprising:

(a) a container having a port;

(b) a tubular neck surrounding the port and connecting with the container, said tubular neck extending outwardly to a lip and having a passage therethrough communicating with an interior of the container, said neck including an external side groove therein;

(c) a transverse snap ring on and encircling the tubular neck, said snap ring being discontinuous over a portion of the tubular neck containing said side groove;

(d) a flexible, kinkable conduit means; and

(e) an adapter flexible connecting the conduit means to the tubular neck, said adapter including (1) a drip chamber surrounded by an upstanding wall,

(2) retaining means associated with the upstanding wall attaching the adapter to the transverse snap ring,

(3) said system including passage means between the adapter and tubular neck connecting the side groove to an interior of the container, and

(4) conduit receiving means connected to said conduit means adjacent anend of the conduit means.

3. A collection system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the adapter has a transverse end wall, spanning said container port and supporting said conduit end, said end wall having a preformed fold therein and having sufficient structural rigidity to maintain its preformed folded shape when the conduit has its longitudinal axis in parallel alignment with the container ports longitudinal axis, said end wall with its preformed fold being sufliciently pliable to yield and at least partially unfold in response to annular movements of said flexible, kinkable conduit relative to the container port without causing said conduit to kink at its junction with the adapter.

4. A collection system for body fluids comprising in combination:

a container having a tubular neck;

a flexible, kinkable conduit having one end for connection to a source of liquid to bereceived in said container; and an adaptor including depending wall means enbracingly engagable on said tubular neck, said adaptor including a transverse end wall integral with a tubular element attached to the other end of said flexible, kinkable conduit, said transverse end wall including preformed, flexible convolution means surrounding said tubular element and permitting substantially universal movement of said tubular element and the conduit attached thereto during deformation of said convolution means whereby said conduit can be wound around said adaptor with said tubular element and conduit attached thereto extending angularly toward the edge of said tubular neck of said container substantially without the formation of kinks in said conduit, said adaptor including an upstanding wall portion integral with depending wall means at its lower end and integral with said transverse wall at its upper end, said upstanding wall defining a chamber beneath said tubular element and permitting said universal movement thereof, said adapter comprising a unit including portions forming a tortuous air vent path from the interior of said container to the exterior thereof.

5. A collection system as claimed in claim 4 in which said depending wall means and container neck include portions forming said tortuous air vent path from the interior of said container to the exterior thereof.

'6. A collection system'as claimed in claim 5 in which said system has a capacity for collecting a given volume of liquid, which system can be stored prior to use in a package of less volume than the liquid collecting capacity of the system, said liquid container being liquid-tight and having flexible side walls which collapse vertically to a package condition and expand vertically from a collapsed condition to permit collection of liquid to the full capacity of the system.

7. A collection system as claimed in claim 4 in which said depending wall means comprises spaced walls embracingly engaged on said container neck, said container neck and said spaced walls including portions forming said tortuous path.

8. a collection .system as claimed in claim 7 in which said upstanding wall portion and one of said spaced walls are substantially coextensive.

9. The structure as claimed in claim 6 in which said container neck includes .exterior grooves interrupting a discontinuous snap ring portion which forms a part of said tortuous air vent path, one of said spaced walls comprising a collar circumposed about said discontinuous snap ring portion.

10. A collection system as claimed in claim 7 in which a drip tube depends below the transverse wall of said adaptor.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Weil 222527 Pancoast 128-252 Witt et a1. 128-295 Borin 128-276 Porterhouse et a1 215-11 Gewecke et a1. 128-214 Jones 128-275 Cassie et a1 215-56 Searer 215-11 Iinkens et a1 128-275 Cronin 128-275 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES F. ROSENBAUM, Examiner. 

1. A COLLECTION SYSTEM FOR BODY FLUIDS COMPRISING: (A) A CONTAINER HAVING A PORT; (B) A TUBULAR NECK SURROUNDING THE PORT AND CONNECTING WITH THE CONTAINER, SAID TUBULAR NECK EXTENDING OUTWARDLY TO A LIP AND HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH AN INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, SAID NECK INCLUDING A SIDE GROOVE EXTENDING TO THE LIP OF THE NECK, AND INCLUDING AN END GROOVE ACROSS ITS LIP SPACED FROM SAID SIDE GROOVE; (C) A TRANSVERSE SNAP RING ON AND ENCIRCLING THE TUBULAR NECK, SAID SNAP RING BEING DISCONTINUOUS OVER A PORTION OF THE TUBULAR NECK CONTAINING SAID SIDE GROOVE; (D) CONDUIT MEANS; (E) AN ADAPTER FLEXIBLY CONNECTING THE CONDUIT MEANS TO THE TUBULAR NECK, SAID ADAPTER INCLUDING (1) A DRIP CHAMBER SURROUNDED BY AN UPSTANDING WALL, (2) RETAINING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPSTANDING WALL ATTACHING THE ADAPTER TO THE TUBULAR NECK, SAID RETAINING MEANS ENGAGING THE TRANSVERSE SNAP RING AND INCLUDING AN UNDERCUT RECESS CONNECTING SAID SIDE AND END GROOVES TO PROVIDE A TORTUOUS FLUID PATH BETWEEN THE TUBULAR NECK AND ADAPTER, (3) CONDUIT RECEIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT AN END OF THE CONDUIT MEANS, AND (4) A FLEXIBLE END WALL CONNECTING THE CONDUIT RECEIVING MEANS WITH THE UPSTANDING WALL, SAID FLEXIBLE END WALL HAVING AT LEAST ONE CONVOLUTION CONCENTRIC WITH THE CONDUIT RECEIVING MEANS.
 2. A FLUID COLLECTION SYSTEM COMPRISING: (A) A CONTAINER HAVING A PORT; (B) A TUBULAR NECK SURROUNDING THE PORT AND CONNECTING WITH THE CONTAINER, SAID TUBULAR NECK EXTENDING OUTWARDLY TO A LIP AND HAVING A PASSAGE THERETHROUGJ COMMUNICATING WITH AN INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, SAID NECK INCLUDING AN EXTERNAL SIDE GROOVE THEREIN; (C) A TRANSVERSE SNAP RING ON AND ENCIRCLING THE TUBULAR NECK, SAID SNAP RING ON AND ENCIRCLING THE TUBULAR TION OF THE TUBULAR NECK CONTAINING SAID SIDE GROOVE; (D) A FLEXIBLE, KINKABLE CONDUIT MEANS; AND (E) AN ADAPTER FLEXIBLE CONNECTING THE CONDUIT MEANS TO THE TUBULAR NECK, SAID ADAPTER INCLUDING (1) A DRIP CHAMBER SURROUNDED BY AN UPSTANDING WALL, (2) RETAINING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPSTANDING WALL ATTACHING THE ADAPTER TO THE TRANSVERSE SNAP RING, (3) SAID SYSTEM INCLUDING PASSAGE BETWEEN THE ADAPTER AND TUBULAR NECK CONNECTING THE SIDE GROOVE TO AN INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER, AND (4) CONDUIT RECEIVING MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONDUIT MEANS ADJACENT AN END OF THE CONDUIT MEANS. 